CARTHAGE — Jeanne and Michael Goolsby were on their honeymoon when they stayed in their first bed and breakfast.

A few years passed before they stayed in another, in Seattle. Jeanne recalls thinking, “Wouldn’t it be nice if … .”

It took a while, but 16 years ago, the Goolsbys’ dream was realized when they bought the Grand Avenue Bed and Breakfast, in Carthage.

It was a natural extension of things they already loved — older homes and cooking.

“Each time we’ve moved and bought a house, we bought one that was about 30 years older” than the previous house, Michael points out.

Today, their home is an 1893 Victorian in the heart of Carthage, which is home to about 200 houses of that era.

Michael explains that Jayhawkers destroyed the city by fire during the Civil War. The city remained largely abandoned until after the end of the war. But shortly after the war’s end, the railroad arrived in town, and mining became a major industry for the area. In the years that followed, many fine homes — including the Goolsbys’ — were built.

“Most of the houses of this size had a ballroom on the third floor,” Michael says, noting he’s found evidence that such a floor was initially planned for their B&B. The first homeowner, however, went bankrupt, so the floor was never completed.

What was built, however, remains beautiful.

An unusually large circular window flanked by stained glass looks out the front of the house to the street. Three more stained-glass windows are in the house.

Each floor features 10-foot-high ceilings, and all furnishings are either antiques or Victorian replicas. Original features such as tile surrounding the fireplace and the quarter-sawn oak trim also remain.

The Goolsbys have invested a lot of work in the painted lady. A sagging foundation recently was shorn up, woodwork has been stripped of paint to reveal its natural beauty, and little by little the Goolsbys are redecorating each room to reflect the style of the era in which the house was built.

Most recently, the Goolsbys completed the dining room, where they stripped woodwork, repapered walls and lined the ceiling with period-appropriate stamped tin.

The house also features two parlors — one of which is home to Jeanne’s grandfather’s piano and a pump organ that belonged to Michael’s grandmother — and three sets of pocket doors.

The stairs lead to a spacious upper hallway and landing area that is flanked by three guest suites. A fourth is tucked away downstairs.

The Goolsbys say they have many plans for the Victorian lady that is their home and business. But their primary focus remains on providing a great experience for visitors.

The couple says their B&B is a popular stopover for people traveling Route 66 or just looking for a needed break from the daily grind.